AN additional three contracts received Cabinet’s nod this week, contracts that together are valued at over $1B.The disclosure was made by Cabinet Secretary, Dr Roger Luncheon, who explained that among the contracts is one for $51.1M, which will facilitate the rental of over 20 buildings that are used by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to house its offices.

Speaking during his weekly post-Cabinet press briefing, held at the Office of the President, on Wednesday, he added that another contract for $20.5M was given Cabinet’s no-objection and will fund the Housing and Water Ministry’s procurement of 12-inch pipelines for the completion of the installation of transmission mains in Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
Dr Luncheon stated too that another $977.5M was approved for the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) to support the designing and implementation of a digital excise stamping programme.
According to him, this will support the effort to deter avoidance of applicable excise taxes on alcoholic and tobacco-based products.
The Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS) maintains that the Constitution, as well as the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act, guides Government spending in the current circumstances – the absence of an Appropriation Act (Budget) and elections in the air.
The Dissolution Proclamation, effective last Saturday, has activated the provisions of Article 219 (1) and combined the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act. It provides that in any financial year the Government is empowered to spend one-twelfth of the Budget of the preceding year in continuing to provide the normal services of the Government of Guyana, until an Appropriation Act is passed.
Additionally, after Elections, Article 219, paragraph 3 of the Constitution, will be activated to regulate expenditure until a first budget is passed for the 11th parliament of Guyana.
Contracts above the $15M mark are taken to Cabinet for its no-objection.